Neighborhood News and Photos

THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered their time for the Marshall Park Ivy Pull on Nov 5 as part of the PP&R's city-wide No Ivy Day event! We had a small but enthusiastic group that cleared about 600 square feet of ivy. Impressive considering that half of our group were first-timers between the ages of 6-12! The city-wide statistics: · Ivy removal work parties were held at 19 sites in the Portland area · More than 300 volunteers participated in invasive plant removal, contributing more than 900 volunteer hours of labor to the fight against invasive species · 120 trees were cleared of ivy and more than 74,000 square feet of ground ivy was removed · In addition, 390 trees and shrubs were planted in an ivy where ivy once grew More pictures available here: Marshall Park No Ivy Day 25-Oct-2014

Our National Night Out picnic was a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the park. At least 80 neighbors attended, plus a few well-behaved doggies and several excited squirrels. A pair of Portland Police Officers showed up, for a social visit of course! A swarm of curious kids surrounded them with great interest. They always become quiet when the police show up. Amanda Fritz gave a little speech informing the crowd about the importance of park preservation and some of the budget challenges. It's nice to have Amanda drop by. It lends our event a bit of gravitas to have a visit from one of our City Commissioners. And Betsy Weston added an additional touch of class by serenading us on her violin. Jannelle from Portland Parks shared information about park plans and directions. And Amy (MPNA playground co-project leader) gave us an update on the new playground. The permit process is under way, and work should begin in the next month or two. Free food was served, courtesy of several local grocery stores. Some people set diets aside and enjoyed their 'annual hot dog'. For others, it wasn't even their first dog of the day! Chef Marty made sure they were all grilled to perfection. Accompanied by plates of fresh fruit, vegetables, chips, and home-made chutney! Finished off by ice cream for all. What a tasty treat. We had a fun, free raffle that everyone enjoyed. Kathleen, our prize hunter and gatherer, rounded up a great collection of gifts. Many people got prizes. We also had a lot of free stuff so all neighbors went home winners. The kids especially liked the toy whistles from the playground project. The loud, piercing sound of many whistles echoed through the park. Parents grabbed free shopping bags to try to muffle the sound, and planned how they were going to snag those headache-inducing whistles once the kids got home. A BIG THANKS to all the volunteers who made this event possible, notably Kathleen, Amy, John, Bruce, Marilyn, Jan, Betsy, Marty and the Mikes. And also THANK YOU to the local organizations who donated food and prizes --- Southwest Neighborhoods Inc (SWNI), Portland Parks, Baker and Spice/The Cakery, Food Front Coop., Fred Meyer, Fusion Cut and Color, Grand Central Bakery, Hillsdale Farmer's Market, Ice Cream Express, Market of Choice, New Seasons, Ohana Party Rentals, Paloma, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Uncle John's Market & Pizza. More pictures available here.

Marshall Park snow - 7 Feb 2014

Marshall Park - No Ivy Day 2013

Twenty strong and tough neighbors, both big and small, joined battle against the ivy in Marshall Park on Saturday 5 Oct, 2013. They were part of the city-wide NO IVY DAY. They tackled ivy growing around and up the tall trees in the park. It is important to prevent the ivy from taking hold up in the canopy, where it will go to seed and spread more ivy throughout the forest. These tireless workers pulled ivy from 20 trees -- an estimated 2,150 square feet of ivy. They certainly made a dent in the ivy in our park. We heard later that Marshall Park was one of the best turnouts in the city on No Ivy Day. Well done to all who participated. ( More pictures in the MPNA Photo Gallery:Marshall Park No Ivy Day 2013 )

Marshall Park National Night Out 2013

We held our annual picnic in the park on a pleasant warm evening in August. Around 120 people attended, including many children, and several well behaved dogs. As usual we welcomed the Police and Fire services who dropped by for a visit. The fire truck was a big hit with the kids, who were allowed to climb aboard and pretend to be a firefighter. Diets were left at home, as everyone tucked in to a great outdoor feast of hot dogs, tofu dogs, fruit, veggie sticks, chips, and lemonade. All rounded off with ice cream and popsicles. We enjoyed being entertained by Betsy on the fiddle. It was lovely to listen to Betsy fiddling about in the background. Nothing better than some good music down in the park. We tend to avoid our usual meeting agenda on this evening of fun. No business talk! But we were happy to make an allowance for Amy and John (our playground project leaders) who made the exciting announcement that Marshall Park has been given a big grant from the State of Oregon. This is exciting news and it will be good to see all the improvements in the park next year. People flocked to scoop up the trinkets and brochures available on the Free Table. And as usual, we had some fun with our free raffle. Our volunteers (notably Kathleen!) had been hitting up local business for prizes and she obtained a huge amount of swag to give away. So we had a Rapid Fire Raffle! There were 36 prizes given away in about 15 minutes! Many people went home with a prize, but on this good night, everyone was a winner. At the end of the night we had some leftover food. Some brave volunteers braced themselves to chow down on all the remaining hot dogs! But better sense prevailed, and Carol took the food down to the Portland Rescue Mission on Burnside. They gratefully accepted our donation of 52 pounds of food from Marshall Park NNO. What a great way to end the evening! Heartfelt thanks to all our wonderful volunteers. And BIG THANKS to all these local organizations who donated food and prizes: Baker and Spice, Central Bark, Fred Meyer, Fusion Cut and Color, Grand Central Bakery, Hillsdale Farmer's Market, Ice Cream Express, Ohana Party Rentals, Paloma, Portland Parks, Southwest Neighborhoods Inc., Starbucks Coffee (Burlingame, Hillsdale, and Multnomah Village), Tryon Creek Grill, Twisted Locks Salon, Uncle John's Market & Pizza, and Zupan's. More pictures in the MPNA Photo Gallery: MPNA NNO 2013

Summer Social in Marshall Park 9-June-2013

We had a beautiful day for our Swing Into Summer event. Over 60 people came out to enjoy ice cream and mingling with their neighbors in Marshall Park. The kids enjoyed a challenging scavenger hunt that lead them all through the park exploring and face painting too. There were many discussions about the playground project and we got a lot of great feedback on some proposed equipment configurations. We also had an official unveiling of the Owl Creek sign led by Mike Duffield - the sign came off to sounds of "Who-Who" by the crowd. More pictures.

Marshall Park National Night Out 2012

On a warm August evening, over 80 people turned out in the pleasant shade of Marshall Park, for the annual National Night Out event. National Night Out is celebrated in the US and Canada every year on the first Tuesday of August. Parties focus on preventing crime and drug activity by getting to know the people on your block and in your neighborhood. It was great to see so many neighbors enjoying themselves. Two police officers stopped by for a social call, and one of them had to spring into action to stop a runaway stroller! Fortunately, the very young occupant was not cited for "reckless strolling". And there were many dogs too --- hot dogs, veggie dogs, and happy four legged dogs. Accompanied by chips, fruit, and veggie sticks. All washed down with soda pop, and finished off with ice cream. It was a splendid little feast. The event and the picnic was provided free of charge thanks to many donations. So a BIG THANK YOU goes out to the brilliant donors -- SAFEWAY, CANTEEN VENDING SERVICES, OHANA PARTY RENTALS, ICE CREAM EXPRESS, PORTLAND PARKS, and SWNI. And we must recognize the volunteers who did all the leg work - the planning, the shopping, the cooking, the lifting and the hauling. And for managing to roll the round tables down the slope without any ending up in the creek! And to Betsy who entertained us with her fiddle, and even allowed some of the children to try it themselves. Thank you one and all. Also there was a very nice display showing ideas for new play structures in the park. Thanks to Paige Lehmann and Andy Moser for their work on the display. Amy Steingrebe (MPNA representative to SWNI Parks), and John DeLance (Chair of Friends of Marshall Park), gave a presentation on the playground status and plans for moving forward. The fundraising is just beginning, and their invitation for contributions was very successful: over $3,000 was raised this one night! It's a tremendous start to the fundraising. If you missed the chance to donate this time, you can still do so -- just go to the SWNI office in the Multnomah Arts Center and write a check to "SWNI", and in the notes write "Marshall Park Playground". Donations are tax deductible. Lost and Found --- There were several babies present, and one left behind a pretty little quilt. If your baby has lost their quilt, let me know and we'll arrange for you to get it back. You'd better describe it, because who knows how many lost quilts there are out there! And please inform Miss Bo Peep that we did not find her sheep! More pictures in the MPNA Photo Gallery: MPNA NNO 2012

Ice Cream Social in Marshall Park 10-June-2012

A fun ice cream social to raise awareness and discuss plans for a new playground. More pictures and information on the Friends site: Friends of Marshall Park

MPNA National Night Out picnic 2-Aug-2011

On a pleasant evening in August, the Marshall Park Neighborhood Association held its annual picnic in the park, to celebrate National Night Out. Over 100 neighbors, children, and dogs turned out to enjoy the event. Portland Parks representatives talked to neighbors about ideas for a new playground, and many people filled out a survey to provide feedback. Portland Police dropped in to chat with people. The children were especially impressed with the big police motorbike. Several little ones got to sit in the seat, and I think some adults would have liked to do that too! We enjoyed chatting with neighbors and listening to fiddle music in the background. And due to many generous donations, people were able to enjoy free hot dogs, veggie dogs, lemonade, and ice cream. Mmmmmm! Gratitude to Safeway, Market Of Choice, SWNI, SW Community Center, Domino Hardwood Floors, Bella's Garage and several anonymous donations. And a big thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. View more photos.

Barred owl in Marshall Park (March 2011) - - -

New Marshall Park brochure (February 2011)

A new Marshall Park brochure and trail map has been published. Thanks to the combined efforts of Portland Parks, Friends Of Marshall and Maricara Parks, and Marshall Park Neighborhood Association. The brochure is very nice, with photos, a map, and brief history of the park. Pick one up the next time you are in the park. In the picture below, Neil and David attach the brochure holder to the notice board. Also a second box containing bags for dog owners who forget to bring their own. Portland Parks also provided a large laminated trail map, which is on the right side of the notice board.

Swing set removed from Marshall Park (December 2010)

Portland Parks Dept. has removed the swingset from Marshall Park. This was done because of lead paint on the structure, and safety concerns due to the age of the structure. Parks has no plans or funds to replace the structure. Portland Parks advises families to use the play structures at outher South West Portland sites: Burlingame Park, Capitol Hill School, Custer Park, and Fulton Park. Portland Parks representatives will answer questions from the community at the next MPNA meeting, 6:00pm, 13-Jan-2010, at Capitol Hill School in the library. Pictures at the Friends of Marshall Park website.

National Night Out picnic in Marshall Park 3-Aug-2010

We celebrated National Night Out with a picnic in Marshall Park. Well over 100 neighbors, children, and dogs attended and all had a good time. There were delicious grilled hot dogs and tofu dogs. We had special visits from the police services and a big red fire truck. And there was a free raffle with prizes. And to round it off there were delicious ice cream treats for all. It was good to see everyone visiting and enjoying the company of their neighbors. Thanks to all the volunteers who put this together, and to SWNI for all their help. More pictures are available at this link.

Marshall Park Bridge Opening & Work Party 20-Feb-2010

Over two dozen neighbors and volunteers met on a glorious spring-like day to celebrate the new bridge. We enjoyed several speakers - Emily from Portland Parks, Margot from FOMMP, and Mike D from MPNA. Then came the official ribbon cutting. And we all grabbed shovels and planted native species around the bridge, serenaded by Betsy on her fiddle. Finally we all enjoyed the free hot drinks and donuts. Thanks to all who helped put this together. More details and pictures at these links: Marshall Park bridge opening and bridge construction.

Lewis & Clark College student housing plans: 8-Dec-2009

In Summer 2009, the college submitted an application to build student apartments on Maplecrest near Terwilliger. Local neighborhoods including Collins View and Marshall Park expressed their concerns to the city. And in early December 2009, the City Hearings Officer delivered his verdict on the application, agreeing with the neighborhood concerns. To learn more, go to this Lewis & Clark development link.

National Night Out - picnic in the park: 4-Aug-2009

Over 100 neighbors gathered in the park for our annual MPNA picnic on 4-Aug-2009. This was a record turnout. The food, music, raffle, and conversation was enjoyed by all. Thanks to SWNI and to all the volunteers who helped put this together. View more pictures .